Relations
between Gulf neighbours Bahrain and Qatar could hardly be worse - short
of actual armed conflict - after two sensational incidents, which occurred
within weeks of each other at the end of 1996 and beginning of 1997.

Firstly,
a high profile spy trial involving two Qatari agents was heard by Bahrain's
State Security Court. This was followed by an even more amazing and somewhat
bizarre event, when a member of Bahrain's ruling family - a trainee pilot
in the Amiri Air Force - defected to Qatar by flying his military helicopter
to Doha and claiming political asylum.

Both episodes
seriously soured the already strained relations between the two states
and were reminiscent of the tribal rivalries of old.

In a part
of the world where disagreements tend to be swept under the carpet and
disguised among platitudes, diplomatic double-speak and superficial friendliness,
it was clear that the gloves were well and truly off this time.

Only weeks
earlier, the tension between the two countries of the last few years,
over the disputed Hawar Islands, had escalated when Bahrain announced
it would not be attending the annual Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) summit
in Doha in December.

Despite frantic
behind-the-scenes diplomacy, orchestrated by Saudi Arabia, in an attempt
to paper over the ever-widening rift between the Gulf neighbours in the
interests of GCC unity, Bahrain would not be swayed from its boycott decision
- much to the annoyance of host Qatar.

Bahraini
Prime Minister Shaikh Khalifa bin Sulman Al Khalifa issued a statement,
in which even the familiar diplomatic language could not disguise the
bitterness between the countries.

Shaikh Khalifa
regretted that Qatar had "not favourably responded to calls and initiatives
aimed at solving the outstanding issues between the two brotherly states,
in the spirit of the one Gulf family." The Bahraini Prime Minister added
that it was impossible for Bahrain to take part in the GCC summit in Qatar,
while the host country was "instituting legal proceedings against Bahrain
at the International Court of Justice."

Qatar's position
"infringed on Bahrain's sovereignty and threatened its national security,"
charged Shaikh Khalifa. He went on to accuse Qatar of exploiting the 1990
GCC summit in Doha, by insisting on discussing the Hawar Islands dispute,
while the GCC leaders were pre-occupied with Iraq's invasion of Kuwait.

On December
2, it was reported that two Qatari citizens had been arrested for spying.
The pair, Fahad Hamad Abdulla Al Baker, 28, and a woman accomplice, Salwa
Jassim Mohammed Fakhri, 33, admitted repeatedly entering Bahrain to gather
military secrets on behalf of the Qatari intelligence service.

In an almost
unprecedented move, the English-language Gulf Daily News (GDN) attacked
Qatar in a strongly-worded editorial, under the heading 'Wolf in sheep's
clothing'. In a country where the Ministry of Information keeps a tight
rein on the press, it is clear that such strong language could not have
been published without the Government's approval.

Extracts
from the vitriolic editorial included: "...no Gulf country ever lowered
itself to the pathetic level you (Qatar) have now reached"; "We in Bahrain
have always known that Qatar cannot be trusted".

No detail
was spared in the press reports of the trial. The two defendants were
said to have confessed to passing military secrets and other sensitive
information to their paymasters in Doha, "aimed at undermining the security
of Bahrain."

Fakhri said
she had been recruited by Al Baker in 1993 to gather defence secrets and
information on the Hawar Islands, for which she received a monthly 'retainer'
from the Qatari intelligence service.

It was said
that the pair had met Qatar's (unnamed) security chief in London in the
summer of that same year. It appears Fakhri sought out Bahrainis in senior
positions, who unwittingly passed on information to her.

This included
the location of defence installations, weapons and military equipment.
In the course of the trial, it was also revealed that a similar Qatari
spying operation had been uncovered by the Bahraini security forces in
January 1987.

Fakhri had
also been instructed to check whether Qatar's deposed Amir, Shaikh Khalifa
bin Hamad Al Thani, had made a secret visit to Bahrain in 1995.

Shaikh Khalifa's
son, Shaikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, was rumoured to be furious that
his father had been feted by the rulers of Qatar's Gulf neighbours and
suspected an attempt to reinstate the former Amir.

It was even
suggested that Bahrain may have struck a deal with the ex-Amir of Qatar,
whereby his country's claims to the Hawar Islands would be dropped in
return for his reinstatement. Just how this might have been achieved,
however, is debatable.

One can only
speculate whether Qatar set up the intelligence operation in Bahrain with
a view to mounting a military operation to occupy the Hawar Islands.

It may have
been designed simply to gather a dossier of 'incriminating' evidence against
Bahrain to use in its legal battle at the International Court of Justice.

Certainly,
Bahrain has been stepping up activity on the disputed islands, by holding
sporting events, including an autocross meeting (which doesn't seem to
square with its contention that the islands are a wildlife sanctuary and,
as such, are of environmental importance !).

On New Year's
Day 1997, newspapers reported the defection of First Lieutenant Nasser
Majid Nasser Al Khalifa of Bahrain's Amiri Air Force, who flew his military
helicopter to Doha, where he requested - and was granted - political asylum.
It was a major coup for Qatar in its cold war with Bahrain.

The fact
that a member of Bahrain's ruling family - albeit a fairly minor one -
chose to make such a public and provocative gesture was deeply embarrassing
to the Al Khalifas, particularly in the light of the events of the previous
few weeks.

Although
a statement on the incident was released by Bahrain's Information Ministry,
it neglected to name the pilot concerned, even though it called on Qatar
to return him and his helicopter 'as soon as possible'.

Almost descending
into farce, the stern statement pointed out that First Lt Al Khalifa could
have simply caught a scheduled flight and lived in Qatar without any fuss.
Clearly, his aim was to gain the maximum publicity.

The reason
for his defection is unclear, although it was suggested that he was disgruntled
with his lot in the military and had some grudge against his superiors.
It is worth noting that Bahrain's heir apparent, Shaikh Hamad bin Isa
Al Khalifa, is also commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

It is difficult
to see how the present rift between Bahrain and Qatar can be resolved,
without one side or the other losing face - the most dreaded condition
that can afflict an Arab.

The situation
also has potentially dire consequences for the GCC, which is not exactly
renowned for its unity at the best of times. It is possible that Qatar,
whose present Amir is regarded as something of a 'loose cannon', might
pull out, which could signal the disintegration of the six-member grouping.

Much depends
on Saudi Arabia, under the ailing King Fahad, as the largest and most
influential member state, in bringing the two feuding 'brothers' back
into the family.